There are different processes for making α,β-unsaturated cyclic imidoalkoxysilanes that are known in the art. These processes are based on the condensation of anhydride precursors with primary aminoalkoxysilanes, and produce water as one of the reaction by-products. Typically, the water produced is scavenged from the reaction using one or more chemical desiccants, for example hexamethyldisilazane (HMDZ) or trimethylsilyl chloride (TMSCI). These chemical desiccants must be used in at least stoichiometeric amounts, which makes these processes economically unfeasible when used to produce α,β-unsaturated cyclic imidoalkoxysilanes on a large commercial scale.
An object of the invention is directed to specific rubber compositions comprising at least one α,β-unsaturated cyclic imidoalkoxysilanes of the present invention. This and other objects are further described below.